Bucks sign G League standout Johni Broome, waive John Butler Jr.
Johni Broome has another NBA opportunity, this time in Milwaukee. The Bucks announced Tuesday they signed the second-year forward and waived big man John Butler Jr. to make room on their preseason roster.
The move comes less than two weeks after the Clippers waived Broome, per hoopswire.com. The 24-year-old was the No. 35 pick in the 2025 draft.
The exact terms of Broome's deal with Milwaukee were not announced, so the structure of his contract is not confirmed. What is clear is that the Bucks saw enough in his recent G League production to give him a fresh look in training camp.
FROM G LEAGUE TO MILWAUKEE
Broome’s road to Milwaukee started in Philadelphia, where he appeared in 11 regular-season games for the 76ers as a rookie, per hoopswire.com. Most of his first year, though, was spent with the team’s G League affiliate in Delaware.
That stint was cut short by a right knee injury, which ended his G League season early, according to hoopswire.com. He did manage to return for brief appearances in Philadelphia’s playoff series against the Knicks.
The summer brought another move. Broome was traded to the Clippers and then waived less than two weeks before the Bucks picked him up, per hoopswire.com.
That left him in a familiar spot: a talented forward with a scoring pedigree looking for a stable home. The Bucks, with a preseason roster spot open, decided to give him that chance.
NUMBERS THAT EARNED THE LOOK
The numbers that got Broome back on an NBA radar came in Delaware, where he spent most of his rookie season with the 76ers’ G League affiliate. In 26 games there, he averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 blocks, per hoopswire.com.
That production carried the weight of a first-round pedigree. Broome, 24, was the No. 35 pick in the 2025 draft, a selection that made his G League assignment more about development than demotion.
He did get a taste of the real thing. Broome appeared in 11 regular-season games for the 76ers as a rookie, according to hoopswire.com, though those minutes were scattered and brief.
The scoring pop was the headline. A 21.8-point average in the G League signals a player who can create his own shot, and the 1.5 blocks per game suggest he offers something on the other end, too.
The injury interrupted the momentum. A right knee issue ended his G League season early, and his return came only in short playoff appearances against the Knicks, per hoopswire.com.
Still, the resume reads like a player worth a second look: a 2025 first-round talent who averaged better than 20 points in the G League and has 11 NBA games of experience. That combination is why Milwaukee, with a preseason roster spot to fill, saw him as more than a training-camp body.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR BROOME
The Bucks have an open two-way spot, and Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors notes that could become an option for Broome if his contract allows it. Whether Broome’s deal permits a two-way conversion has not been confirmed.
A stint with the Wisconsin Herd is possible, too. The Herd would give Broome a runway to log heavy minutes while staying within the organization’s system, a path he knows well from his time in Delaware.
First, he gets training camp to make his case. That is where Broome can show whether his 21.8-point scoring average translates against NBA-level athletes, and whether his 1.5 blocks per game carry over to a faster, stronger game.
The injury is part of the equation. A right knee issue ended his G League season early, and while he returned for brief playoff appearances, teams will want to see that the knee holds up through a full camp workload.
Milwaukee’s front office has a history of mining G League production for rotation pieces. Broome’s path is clear: impress at camp, earn a two-way slot if the paperwork works out, or report to the Herd and force the issue with performances.
Either way, the opportunity is real. The scoring pop got him in the door. What he does with training camp will decide how much farther he goes.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Training camp is where Broome makes his case, per hoopswire.com. The Bucks have him on the preseason roster, and the next few weeks will show whether the right knee holds up and the scoring translates against NBA competition.
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors notes the Bucks have an open two-way spot, so that could become an option if Broome’s contract allows it. Whether he gets a two-way contract or is assigned to the Wisconsin Herd is not confirmed.
A stint with the Herd is possible, too, per hoopswire.com. That would let Broome get extended minutes in a familiar G League setting, where he averaged 21.8 points in 26 games with Delaware last season.
The first concrete checkpoint is the end of camp. Broome gets his chance to force a decision, and the Bucks’ front office will have to choose between keeping him on the roster, sliding him into the two-way slot, or sending him to Oshkosh.
For now, the door is open. The scoring pop got him in the door, and what he does in training camp will decide how much farther he goes.
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